Apparatus for the generation of acetylene gas.



PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

A. ROSENBERG. APPARATUS FOR THE GENERATION OF AGETYLENE G APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

A. ROSENBERG.

APPARATUS FOR THE GENERATION OF AGETYLENE GAS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D O O O O ATTOF/VEKS No. 824.509. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.. A. ROSENBERG.

. APPARATUS FOR THE GENERATION OP AGETYLENE GAS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.28,1905.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ii /r H 1; 1 Q 0 a i Mi Q J I a P fl W/T/VESSEJ M 5mm m. M flzzg usiasfioswzerg" UNITED STATES AUGUSTUS ROSENBERG,

PATENT oFFIoE.

OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

Application filed- August 28. 1 905- Serial No. 2761057.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUeUsTUs ROSENBERG,

engineer, of 259 High Holborn, London, Eng- Gas; and I do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof-that is to say:

This invention relates to apparatus employed in the production of gases by the reaction ocurring progressively between a solid and a liquid reagent which are permitted to gradually come into contact with one another. i

The invention has for its object to provide a tubulure attachment for a vessel (which forms the subject of another application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 245,404, filed Feb.- ruary 15 1905) which is adapted to serve not only for the transport and storage of the solid reagent, but also in combination with said tubulure attachment asa generator for the gas when the vessel is immersed in the liquid reagent.

The invention will for convenience be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in connection with the production of acetylene gas from calcium carbid.

Fi ure 1 is a side elevation of the tubulure attachment, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of the vessel referred to, while Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the tubulure attachment. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section showing the vessel and the attachment applied thereto, and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the attachment applied to a vessel combined with a container for the water.

The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

The combined storage vessel and generator,to which the attachment is applied, consists of a closed canister A, made of tin-plate or other material which will permit of .the canister being sealed against the entrance of air or moisture and of being cut open to provide for the escape of the gas, as ereinafter described, provided with a perforated tube B, which rises centrally from the bottom a and terminating a short distance from the top 0 of the canister and is surrounded by a sleeve or wrapping b of a fabric adapted to give passage to the water.

The canister is provided with a peripheral ledge or flange O, surrounding its upper part and formed, preferably, by a beading spun or stamped up around the edge of the top plate 0 and serving or assisting to secure the top plate to the body A of the canister by soldermg.

The solid reagent (which is not shown in the drawings) is packed within the canisterA around the tube B, space being left, if necessary, for such increase in bulk of the contents of the canister as may result from the reaction. In such case there may be provided a follower adapted to confine the contents of the canister tothe lowerportion of the latter, and thus prevent the material from movement during transport. This follower would consist of a diaphragm F, fitting easily within the canister and apertured to give passage to the tube B, and a spiral springf, confined between the diaphragm F and the top 0 of the canister, so as to press the diaphragm constantly toward the bottom a, between which and the diaphragm F the material is packed. As the material in the canister expands in consequence of the reaction taking place the spring f yields and allows the diaphragm F to rise.

The tubulure attachment comprises a yoke G, which may be in the form of an open or spider frame having, say, four radial arms g, whose outer ends are adapted to rest upon the top 0 of the canister or upon the beading O, the hooked or notched extensions h of so many of the arms g (three in the example illustrated) as are comprised in onehalf the circumference of the yoke being adapted to engage beneath said beading, so that the yoke can be applied in position upon the canister by a simple movement perpendicular to the axis of the latter.

The arms g radiate from a central boss J, having a screwthreaded aperture which when the yoke G is inposition on the canist er is in axial alinement with the latter, the arms being arched, so as to leave a convenient space between the boss J and the top 0 of the canister. Through this screw-threaded aperture works an externally-screw-thr'eaded tube K, which is provided toward its outer end with cross-arms lc for rotating the tube and at its inner extremity with a piercer or cutter L, adapted to establish communication between the interior of the canister and the tube K and formed, preferably, of a ring of crown-teeth surrounding the open lower end of the tube, which also carries above the cutter a rotatable flange M, faced with a washer m of rubber or other suitable compressible jointing material.

WVhen the tubulure attachment is to be ap plied to the canister, the yoke G is placed in position so that the hooked extremities h of its arms g engage beneath the flange or beading C, and on the tube K being rotated so as to cause the cutter L to bear upon the top 0 of the canister the under side of the hooks or notches h are first drawn up tightly against the under side of the heading 0, the pressure thus exerted upon which may be distributed by means of a band H, connecting the hooks h and extending around the corresponding half of the circumference of the yoke, so as to bear continuously on the beading. By now further rotating the tube K the cutter L will be likewise both rotated and advanced so as to cut a circular hole in the top late a of the canister, and by the continued advance of the tube the flange M will ultimately force the washer m into contact with said top plate, and thus form a gas-tight and water-- tight joint between the tube K and the can ister.

The screw-thread on the tube K is of slow pitch to enable the cutting operation to be effected with ease, and the flange M is preferabl made to engage somewhat loosely with a s oulder, as at Z, on the tube, so as to be free to accommodate itself to any irregularity of the surface of the top plate 0 of the canister.

Prior to the employment of the canister for generating the gas that end of the tube B which is attached to the bottom a, of the oanister remains closed by the latter; but when the gas is to be generated entrance is afforded to the liquid (wherein the canister is then immersed) by means of a small pin-hole which is pierced through the bottom of the canister within the area of the tube B, as shown at D in Fig. 4. For enabling this to be done I provide on a screwplug N, which serves for closing the outer end of the tube K when it is desired to stop the generation of gas, a short and sharp steel needle-point n, so

' that the plug constitutes a puncturing-tool. The screw-plug N is provided with a handle or wings N, whereby to turn it, and is permanently' attached to the yoke G by means of a chain, as at n. f In operation, the yoke G having been engaged with the canister, the tube K iS rotated so as to cut a hole in the top of the latter and tube B and through its porous walls, attacks the solid reagent frombeneath, the as evolved passlng mto the upper part of t e canister and escaping by way of the tube K. The

. latter may have a flexible tube connected to its upper end for leading the gas to any point required, or a burner may be fitted directl to the top of the tube K, which may also (1f desired) be fitted with a stop-cock for regulating the flow of the gas.

The generator acts on the well-known prin ciple of the diving-bell type of acetylenegenerator, a balance being maintained under ordinar conditions of working between the head 0 liquid outside the canister and the pressure of gas inside the latter, while any excess in the rate of production of the gas as compared with the consumption will result in an accumulation of pressure within the canister and (by reason of the consequent lowering of the level of the liquid thereln) a ro ortionate diminution in the rate at whic h t e gas is generated, so that in the event of a certain degree of pressurebeing attained the liquid will be entirely expelled through the pin-hole D and the generation of gas will cease, the pin-hole D acting as a safety-valve and obviating all risk of explosion. A similar diminution and ultimate cessation in the gas production will occur if the passage of the tube K be closed-as, for instance, by the plug N or the stop-cock already referred to. By thus closing the tube K when the canister is lifted out of the liquid any balance of mate rial remaining within the canister will be kept ready for subsequent use in consequence of the pressure of gas in the canister causing any remaining free moisture to be driven out through the pin-hole.

The combined canister and tubulure attachment may be used in combination with a vessel for the liquid reagent, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to form therewith a self-contained apparatus. In such case the yoke instead of being in the form of an open spiderframe would consist of a closed dome G, having hooked lugs 72, on its under side adapted to engage beneath the beading C of the canister A, as before, and provided beyond the radius of said lugs with a lip or flange O, faced with a rubber washer 0, so as to be adapted to make joint with a corresponding flange or lip p, surroundin the mouth of the liquid-container P, to whic the flange 0 may be secured by screw-clamps Q. With such an arrangement it is obviously necessary that suflicient interspace be provided between the canister A and the vessel P to hold the entire quantity of the liquid reagent if (owing to possible accumulation of pressure within the canister, as before described) so much of the liquid as had gained access to the interior of the canister should be expelled through the pin-hole D. Such a self-contained combination as illustrated in. Fig. 5 would in the case of acetylene form a very compact and convenient generator for the gas, well adapted to be used for such purposes as the supply of gas for motor-car lamps, domestic li hting, and the like, the'top of the pipe being either provided with a burner, as indicated, so that the apparatus constitutes a lamp, or being connected by a flexible tube to the burner of a lamp or lantern placed at a distance from the generator.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. Atubulure attachment for a container adapted to serve both for the transport and storage of a solid reagent and as a gas-generator, consisting of a screw-threaded tube provided with a cutter or piercer adapted to establish communication between the container and the tube and means for insuring a tight joint between the end of the tube and the top of the container, and a support for the tube provided with a central screw-threaded aperture for the passage of said tube and adapted to be applied to the container so as to form an abutment for the screw on said tube, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with a vessel adapted to serve both for the transport or storage of a solid reagent and as a gas-generator, of a screw-threaded tube provided with a cutter or piercer adapted to establish communication between the container and the tube, a support for the tube provided with a central screw-threaded aperture for the passage of said tube and adapted to be applied to the container so as to form an abutment for the screw on said tube and a screw-plug for closing the outer end of the tubulure attachment provided with a point to constitute an instrument for piercing a hole in. the bottom of the container within the area of the for-aminous tube as specified.

3. Apparatus for use in the production of gas by the reaction occurring between a solid and a liquid reagent, consistlng in the combi nation of a canister provided with a bead or flange on its upper extremity; a tubulure attachment for carrying off the gas generated, consisting of a screw-threaded tube provided with a cutter or piercer adapted to establish communication between the container and the tube; a dome-shaped cover having a screw-threaded aperture for the passage of the tubulure attachment; lugs adapted to engage beneath the beading on the canister, and a lip or flange beyond the radius of said lugs; a flanged container for the liquid reagent completely inclosin the canister; and means for securing the ome-shaped cover on the top of the container substantially as specified.

4. An apparatus for generating gas, comprising a vessel, a canister in the vessel and having a flange at its upper end, a cover adapted to be secured to the vessel and provided with a central threaded opening and with hooked lu s on its under side for engaging the flange 0% the canister, a threaded tube in the opening of the cover, and provided at its upper end with means for turning it, said tube being provided at 1ts lower end with a cutter, and above the cutter and adjacent thereto with a flange faced with compressible material.

5. A tubulure attachment for a gas-generating apparatus comprisin an externallythreaded tube provided wit a handle at its upper end and at its lower end with a cutter and above the cutter and adjacent thereto a flange, the flange being loosely mounted on the tube and faced with compressible material, and a support for the tube, said support bein provided with a threaded opening in which the screw works and with hooked projections ior engaging the flan 'e of a vessel.

AUGUSTUS nosnnnnne.

Witnesses: V

A. NUTTING, O. P. LronoN. 

